Cody Chronicles
by Thetimetel
Summary: The Cody Chronicles shows how Edreg's group met, and will go more into detail about the other members' pasts. It's highly suggested you read We Four Freaks at least to Chapter 12 before you read this. Blood and adult humor
1. The Beginning of the End

Okay, let me explain something.

I can NOT make a character without automatically making a past for them. Call it a flaw if you want to, it's just who I am.

So what happened to get Edreg into the position he is? What was Cody like? How did Edreg's group form?

The next few chapters (dubbed the Cody Chronicles) will show what happened to Edreg after his father caught him trying to scam Zacyr.

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><p>Edreg couldn't believe it. He just sat on his bed, his thoughts racing. This couldn't be happening! All that money he had saved up, all of his hard work . . . this was <em>bad!<em> His father _knew!_ This . . . this just couldn't be happening!

"Hey, kid."

Edreg listened as the kid, Zacyr, walked back over by the counter. Edreg couldn't believe what he heard his father say. "These two vials are free of charge. Consider them an apology for what my boy did."

His father had just given _extra_ vials to the kid? Edreg felt an ice-cold chill race down his spine, this was bad! His father had just given away something for _free_! His father _never_ did that, even though he didn't understand the importance of gold _nearly_ as much as Edreg did . . .

Edreg raced to his room, he had to move _fast. _He had never seen his father mad before, and he knew that if his father _was_ pissed off . . . those muscles he had weren't just for show! Edreg quickly packed some clothes. While he also wanted to pack the large bag of gold he kept hidden in his closet, he knew he didn't have the time. Edreg quickly got his pack closed as he heard footsteps headed his way. He soon raced out the door, not stopping once as he made a mad dash to the forest.

Edreg didn't stop running when he heard his father call out. It never occurred to him that his father sounded startled, it never occurred to Edreg that his father may not have been as enraged as Edreg thought he was. All he could think about were the muscles his father had, the fact that he had _seen_ his father's raw strength.

That had been years ago. That one bull +Anima had gone on a rampage, and eventually Edreg had found himself in harm's way. His father had intercepted the +Anima, not only stopping the charge but even pushing the bull +Anima back a good distance. Then he had tossed the bull out of the village, over _thirty feet!_

Edreg didn't know the math, but he _did_ know that his father's strength hadn't lessened since that time. If his father put just a _fraction_ of that strength into a punch towards Edreg's face, Edreg wouldn't survive the hit!

-Edreg's Father-

Adran couldn't believe the sight in front of him. Edreg was running away? At first Adran wondered what to do, should he follow Edreg? His son didn't know how to survive in the wilderness! His son knew how to shop, how to haggle, and how to scam people. Eventually Adran sighed. He walked back into the house, wondering . . . what should he do? He hadn't expected Edreg to take it so hard, and Adran hadn't even _begun_ the argument! Did his son truly fear Adran that much?

Adran sighed as he grabbed out the family portrait. His son had inherited Adran's blue eyes and blonde hair, although he had the slightly-scrawny structure of his mother. Then again, Edreg's mother had been _no_ pushover.

Adran chuckled as he felt the scar on his face. While he had not gotten it for the reason he told Zacyr, he _had_ gotten it from his ex-wife. That had been when her sanity had begun to disappear. She had never told Adran about that man, and Adran had never learned what the man had done to rile his wife up so much. But whatever it had been, she had gotten _mad_ about it. Adran had been shocked when his wife had announced she was going to leave. He had tried to stop her, if only to get more answers.

He still remembered her swinging that knife at him, if he hadn't retained enough sense afterwards to ask for help he would have bled to death. His wife on the other hand had just disappeared. It had been a while before he heard about her again. She had found the man, and had attacked him in a rage. But she had bitten off more than she could chew. The man had easily killed her.

It still shocked Adran, and it sincerely worried him. His wife had let her hatred grow until it consumed her, and Adran knew his son had gained more of his mother's personality. His wife had also been no fighter at first, she kept so many secrets . . . and as Edreg had _just_ shown today, he had obtained his mother's love for gold. Adran wondered . . . what else had Edreg obtained from his mother's personality?

-Edreg-

As the sun began to set, Edreg continued to run. He was _exhausted_, but fear was a powerful motivator. It took a while before his exhaustion finally overcame his fear, and he fell onto his front. How long had he ran? Had his father managed to follow him? If he had, Edreg wasn't going to be able to escape. For what felt like hours Edreg just laid there. He didn't have the strength to move, and he just . . . he couldn't believe what had happened.

His father had known? Edreg had to admit he had made a mistake. It was the same mistake he always made. He thought that just because his father was strong automatically made him stupid. Still . . . Edreg certainly didn't feel like he had done anything wrong. That boy-Zacyr-had been the one stupid enough to not learn how to read.

The more Edreg thought about it, the more he began to wonder . . . _had_ Zacyr not been able to read? What if it was _Edreg_ that had been fooled? That made sense, Edreg had been set up! Edreg gnashed his teeth. Of _course_ Zacyr knew how to read, that should have tipped Edreg off that his father was listening in!

Zacyr and Edreg's father had planned it beforehand! Edreg couldn't believe it, he had been out-planned! But which one of them had planned it like this? It couldn't have been Edreg's father, thank _god_ Edreg had his mother's intelligence. And Zacyr had done _his_ part of the plan flawlessly. There was Edreg's answer! Whose fault was this? _Zacyr's!_

There was suddenly a small noise, like a twig snapping nearby. Edreg had no idea where his strength came from. In less than a second he was back on his feet, looking around wildly. "Who's there? I'm warning you, I'm stronger than I look! If you're trying to rob me, you're making a _big-_"

Edreg turned around, and he let out a cry of shock and fear as he realized what he was looking at. _A +Anima!_ It had a lizard's head, and while it didn't look exactly _threatening_ . . . Edreg's thoughts turned back to that bull +Anima. Edreg shivered as he backed away, watching as the strange head suddenly turned into a human's head.

Edreg gulped as he looked for a weapon. He didn't _care_ that the brown-haired, hazel-eyed boy was smiling at him. The boy was a +Anima, Edreg was in _big _trouble! When the boy began walking into the clearing, Edreg's heart began to race. As the boy walked closer, Edreg grew more and more panicked. He soon was backed up against a tree, and the +Anima stood just _feet_ away from Edreg.

The +Anima's smile never lessened, and as it opened its mouth Edreg was certain he was about to be eaten. Edreg turned his head to the side as he closed his eyes, he couldn't watch this beast-

"Hi!"

Edreg's eyes were wrenched open as he looked at the +Anima. He couldn't believe it. "_You can __**talk?**_"

But +Anima were savage beasts, how could . . . Edreg just couldn't believe it. This +Anima could _talk?_ Edreg just couldn't believe it. The +Anima nodded excitedly to Edreg. "Yeah! My name's Cody, what's yours?"

Edreg was still in complete shock. He had _never_ seen a +Anima speak before! And yet . . . the +Anima-no, Cody-just continued to look at Edreg, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. Eventually Edreg realized that Cody had asked him a question, so Edreg stated his name. Edreg was shocked when Cody's eyes sparkled with glee. "Wait-whoa! You are _the_ Edreg? You are _so_ cool!"

Edreg gulped, he had no idea who this Cody was thinking of but Edreg _knew_ it wasn't him. "I-uh, I think you've got me confused for someone else."

Cody didn't seem in the least put off, and surprised Edreg when he completely changed the subject. "Can I get you something to eat? Berries, rabbits, honey, or fish?"

Edreg's heart was finally settling down. He now eyed Cody carefully, and was surprised as he realized Cody could only have been eleven or so years old. His green shirt looked almost ready to fall apart, and was held down by a strap of leather. The shorts Cody wore were caked with so much mud that Edreg didn't know what color they were. Yet he didn't look irritated at all, Cody simply looked at Edreg with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Of course, it's not just one or the other. You can have a bit of each if you want, mister Edreg."

Edreg flinched. "Uh-um, thank you? I uh . . . whichever one's easiest."

Cody smiled brilliantly at Edreg. "Rabbit stew it is!"

Edreg watched dumbstruck as Cody began walking out of sight. Right before he would have been out of sight though, Cody looked back at Edreg. "You coming?"

Edreg was completely shocked, here was a complete stranger and they were willing to get Edreg food? Edreg gulped as he walked towards Cody. "Y-yeah"

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><p>I'm probably going to keep on writing about Edreg for a bit. I've been wanting to fit this in since the chapter Cody died, and I think it's time to go even more into depth about each of Edreg's team.<p>

I'm running into a few holes with Zacyr's plot that I need time to work with. As such, I'll speak about what I DO have all sorted out while I work on filling in Zacyr's plot a bit more.


	2. One of Them

So, I was researching chameleons for Cody's character. Everything I could find has been put into Cody's character, and is explained mainly in here.

Apparently Chameleons don't really have much control over their ability to change colors. Instead, it is all subconsciously done or something.

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><p>"Can I get anything for you?"<p>

Edreg couldn't help but smile inwardly. He set down the remains of the rabbit Cody had cooked for Edreg and shook his head. "No thank you, I'm good."

He had to have heard that question about fifty times in the last half-hour. Cody was eager to serve, for lack of a different . . . way to say it. Edreg sighed, he couldn't believe that Cody was a +Anima. "So you're a +Anima?"

Cody smiled as his face began to change. Soon Edreg was facing a strange lizard-headed person, and he shuddered at how . . . _alien_ the look was to him. Cody spoke, and it was amazing. His voice wasn't affected by his strange head-shape at all. "Yeah. I'm a chameleon +Anima!"

Edreg's eyes opened wide, a _chameleon_? "Wait, so you can camouflage yourself?"

Cody's face suddenly changed color. It was soon rather pinkish, and Cody's eyes looked away from Edreg. "Actually, that's a myth. Only a few chameleons can camouflage themselves. While my head can change colors, I can't really control it."

Edreg shrugged, he had to admit he was rather interested in what Cody could do. "So what _can_ you do with your +Anima form?"

Cody smiled as he opened his mouth. Edreg was astounded as Cody's tongue shot out of his mouth, going at least twenty feet over to a tree before quickly retracting. Cody then moved his eyes independently, which . . . well, it kind of unsettled Edreg. As Cody's head turned back to human, he yet again looked at Edreg excitedly. "So, where are you from?"

Edreg caught himself smiling and he quickly hid the smile. "I don't want to talk about it."

Cody flinched before blushing. "O-of course, I didn't mean to upset you."

Edreg wasn't certain what to make of it. Cody's personality reminded Edreg of a little kid that was starved for attention. Still . . . Edreg had to admit that he liked how Cody made him feel important. Eventually Edreg sighed. "Okay. Thank you for the meal, but I've got to go and do something."

While Cody seemed rather put off, Edreg didn't let himself stay long enough to let Cody respond. Edreg was still enraged at his situation. He was still enraged that Zacyr had gotten him into this position as well. How _dare_ that piece of shit fuck everything up for Edreg? What was more, the _way_ Zacyr did so . . . he beat Edreg at his own game!

It was a while before Edreg remembered that he was in a forest. What was more, he had never been in this forest before. The area wasn't familiar to him. He was lost! He tried to quell that thought and simply walk in a straight line, but that feeling wouldn't go away. Soon he was horrified when he found the _exact_ area he had _just_ been in. He had walked in a circle!

What was worse, the moon wasn't providing him with nearly enough light to find his way. Eventually Edreg had to stop. He didn't know where he was, all that he could see were trees all around him, and he was tired. Eventually he decided to sleep with his back to a tree, and sat down. It was a while before sleep came to him, but it did eventually.

He awoke the next morning, and for a moment he was shocked to find himself in the forest. How had he gotten here? As Edreg wondered that, the events of yesterday suddenly came back to him. He remembered how Zacyr had tricked Edreg, he remembered how his father had chased him out of the house, and he remembered meeting Cody.

Edreg was distracted by his stomach rumbling. He was hungry and wanted something to eat. He got up with a groan, his back was _killing_ him. Maybe he shouldn't have slept like that . . . whatever, he needed food right now. Edreg soon began searching the forest, trying to figure out what berries would be good to eat. Some of them he knew because they were used in potions, but the few he found that he knew were safe to eat he didn't like. He wasn't a grazer, he wanted _meat! _The rabbit Cody had given Edreg last night had tasted good, but Edreg wanted something that would last him more than one meal. He continued searching the forest, what would be a good animal to eat?

Edreg was surprised when a honey badger walked into sight, walking confidently through the trees and clearly on the prowl. Edreg didn't know that they were in this forest, maybe they were drawn by the honey produced in the village? Yeah, that made sense. Still, Edreg wondered . . . what did a honey badger taste like?

Before he could really think about it, he saw the honey badger charge towards a fox. Edreg gulped as he watched the honey badger attack the fox, it was strong. As the honey badger killed the fox and began to eat, Edreg moved on. He didn't want to fight a predator, he wanted to hunt prey. But everything he found was either a predator or just too small to make a good meal. Edreg soon began to grow flustered, what _was_ there that could satisfy his hunger?

Eventually he found his answer. He soon was hiding in the bushes as he looked towards a pond. A large moose was drinking water from the pond, it was _perfect!_ That thing could feed Edreg for _weeks_, it would be so _easy! _After all, moose were just like oversized deer, right? Even if Edreg failed to kill it the moose wouldn't retaliate, it would simply flee like the cowardly prey it was.

Still, Edreg needed a weapon. He searched his pack, soon sighing in relief as he found a dagger he had gotten from one of his customers. He had never imagined he would be using it, he had expected to auction it off to someone else for more gold. Edreg gulped as he got out from behind the bush.

He tried to be silent, but the moose noticed him almost immediately. Still, it didn't run. The moose focused on Edreg, as if wondering what Edreg was doing. It angered him. Was he being _mocked_ by a moose? That was _it!_

Edreg charged at the moose, not even noticing when the look in the moose's eyes changed. All of his rage turned to shock as the moose broke out into a run _towards_ him, what was going on? The prey couldn't attack the predator, it didn't work that way! Edreg just _barely_ got out of the way as the moose plowed past him, had it just tried to _ram_ him? Still . . . Edreg quickly remembered that it was just prey, maybe it was just being a dumb animal.

But then the moose turned and faced Edreg, fire appearing to leap from its eyes. Edreg had made a mistake, this moose wasn't the coward Edreg had expected it to be. The moose's head slammed into Edreg's gut, and sent him tumbling a good distance. As he tried to get up the moose charged again, this time slamming into Edreg's side.

Edreg looked up to find the moose charging again. He was scared. This moose was going to kill him! All he could see was the hooves of the moose plowing up the ground as the moose charged. Those same hooves would soon be digging into Edreg's back as the moose trampled him to death!

Edreg looked around desperately, and was shocked when he saw a large rock strike the moose from behind. The moose turned, and Edreg couldn't believe it as he saw Cody standing there, his +Anima traits showing. Cody now had the moose's attention, and Edreg's heart raced as the moose charged at Cody. Cody waited until the moose was close then dashed towards the moose's right side, attempting to out-flank it.

Cody just wasn't fast enough. The moose just caught Cody's side with its antler, and as the moose turned its head the other way Cody was sent flying into a nearby tree. As the moose charged again, Edreg got to his feet, his side and gut screaming in pain from the moose's earlier strikes. He couldn't let Cody die! Edreg tossed the dagger in his hand at the moose, and was surprised when he managed to hit it in the side.

The moose gave a cry of rage as it changed course, and as it closed the distance Edreg saw his life flash before his eyes. He remembered seeing his father save him from the bull +Anima, he remembered how he had finally come up with a way to get more money, he remembered the girl he had bought the necklace for . . . then he remembered how Zacyr screwed it all up. Zacyr had taken _everything_ away from Edreg!

As Edreg returned to the present, he saw the moose still charging at him. Edreg had to find a way to live! He _had_ to find a way to survive this! Edreg looked around, desperate to find a way to live through this. He soon found himself looking a honey badger in the eye.

Then . . . it was so strange. Edreg felt strength course through his veins, and soon found himself charging at the enraged moose. As claws took the place of Edreg's hands and he was just _feet_ away from the moose he leapt up. He just barely cleared the antlers, but with a savage roar of his own Edreg dug his claws into the moose's back. The moose gave a strange cry of pain as Edreg landed neatly behind the moose and turned around, claws at the ready.

The moose was bleeding from HUGE gashes running along its back, but it still tried to turn. Edreg gnashed his teeth, not even realizing how sharp they had gotten. "You are my _**PREY!**_"

Edreg charged at the moose, which apparently chose to fight again. However, the moose lost its footing halfway through the charge and soon tumbled to a stop right in front of Edreg. He quickly sliced its side open, and it wasn't long before the moose stopped moving.

For a while Edreg simply stood there, panting heavily. He couldn't believe it, he had won. He was still alive! But how had it happened? He looked at his hands, rather surprised to see the claws were still there. He couldn't see most of his clothing. In its place was a large amount of fur that covered Edreg head to toe. Edreg was startled as he realized he had a tail, though it didn't look like it would do too much for him.

"Edreg?"

Edreg turned around to see Cody looking at Edreg. He looked hurt, but not horribly so. It was a while before Edreg spoke. "Why did you follow me?"

Cody looked the other way as his chameleon head turned pink. "I-it's been so long since I've seen another person, I just . . . I didn't want to be alone again."

Edreg sighed as he looked the other way. No matter the reason Cody had followed him, Cody had just tried to save Edreg's life, even risking his own to do it. Hmm . . . well, Edreg was lost. Cody, as he just said, had been in the forest for some time. Not only that, Cody seemed to care for Edreg. At the very least, he would be easy to manipulate into aiding Edreg. "Do you want to come with?"

Cody's eyes lit up as his head turned back to green. "Yeah! I won't be a burden at all! Can I can I can I?"

Edreg chuckled as he nodded. He almost forgot about his new form, so when he held out a hand to help Cody up he was surprised to see his large claws. Cody's head again turned pink. "If I had been a bit more careful, you wouldn't have had to become a +Anima."

Edreg froze as the reality of what just happened finally hit him. He was a +Anima now. Edreg couldn't believe it, just two days ago he would never have believed a +Anima was human and now . . . Edreg couldn't help the low growl that came from his mouth. Cody paled as the scales on his head turned white. "I-I'm really sorry, I didn't-"

"It's not your fault."

Cody looked surprised as he looked up at Edreg, who turned himself back to human form (though _how_ he knew how to do that, he had no clue) and helped Cody to his feet. "It's someone else's fault. He's the one that got me chased from my house, he's the reason I got lost in the forest, he's the reason I'm a +Anima. _**Zacyr.**_"

Edreg felt his blood boil as he said that name. Cody surprised Edreg when he offered to help Edreg find Zacyr, and Edreg explained that he didn't know his way around the area that well. "I can get you out of the forest! Follow me, I'll lead you to this village that I saw a while ago!"

Edreg smiled at Cody's eagerness before nodding. "Lead the way."

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><p>Ok, so current plan: I do a chapter of the Cody Chronicles, then I do a chapter of We Four Freaks, and I alternate between them. I'm excited to get to work on the Cody Chronicles, so expect the next chapter soon!<p> 


	3. Making Friends

Edreg has become a +Anima. He better learn the ropes fast, life isn't easy on beginners . . .

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><p>Edreg found a smile coming to his face as Cody and he walked out of the forest. It hadn't even been an hour. "Wow, you really got us out of the forest <em>fast<em>."

Cody's face flushed with pride, almost getting Edreg to laugh. Instead he looked around. "I don't think I've been here before."

Edreg wasn't surprised when Cody blushed. He really seemed to be concerned about Edreg's personal opinion on just about everything. "W-well . . . I'm sorry, did you have a specific area you wanted to go?"

Edreg smiled as he shook his head. He _did_ want to find Zacyr, but . . . well, he didn't even know which way Zacyr had gone. Still, it was quite likely that he wasn't in the forest anymore. That meant that Edreg would have to search for him. Edreg could bide his time. But the next time he saw that bastard, well . . . Zacyr would get _just_ what he deserved.

Edreg returned to the present when he noticed Cody pointing in a direction. "Hey, there's a village over there!"

Edreg looked where Cody was pointing, and was pleasantly surprised to see Cody was right. Unfortunately, it wasn't the same village Edreg knew for his entire life. Not that it was a bad thing. Edreg was in no way willing to face his father again. But it also meant that Edreg had no idea where they were, he had never actually _been_ outside of his village.

Eventually Edreg sighed. It was as good a place to start as any other. "Alright, let's go."

Cody eagerly nodded, and Edreg smiled as he followed Cody to the village. Once they were there, Edreg was shocked when he looked at the villagers. It wasn't that there was anything different about the villagers. Edreg just felt like . . . well, he wasn't one of them. He had become a +Anima and he no longer _felt_ like he was human.

Of course, that line of thinking dragged Edreg's thoughts back to the incident. Not the moose incident. That was caused by Edreg's own stupidity. No, his thoughts went back to Zacyr. Even if it was Edreg's own fault that he became a +Anima, Zacyr had put him in that position. He wouldn't be a +Anima if Zacyr hadn't _ruined Edreg's life!_

"Edreg?"

Edreg didn't hear the worry in Cody's voice, he was too stuck in his own thoughts. But Cody eventually nudged Edreg, and Edreg managed to focus. He was surprised to find almost every villager staring at him with shock and fear. Edreg frowned as he looked around, what was he doing that was drawing everyone's attention?

Cody got Edreg's attention by clearing his throat. "Uh, Edreg? Do this."

Edreg raised an eyebrow as Cody began rubbing his fingers against each other. "Seriously? I guess, but I fail to see-"

Edreg froze as he heard claws clicking against each other, and immediately looked down at his hand. What he found instead were claws, he had changed into his +Anima form _right in front of everyone!_ "_Huh? _But I didn't _do _anything, why did I change?"

Cody gulped as he blushed. "If a +Anima is overcome by emotions, it becomes hard to stay in their human form. Edreg, we have to get out of here! People don't like +Anima!"

Edreg nodded, and the two of them immediately wheeled themselves around to leave. Edreg cursed as javelins landed in front of them, soon forming a sort of wall to block their path. While he could easily break through the barricade, the people that had thrown them probably had a few more in their arsenal. To go forwards would put Edreg and Cody in the line of fire.

Edreg quickly wheeled himself around, looking for a way out of the village. He growled in annoyance and frustration when he realized people with spears were slowly advancing, the spears pointed at both Edreg and Cody. "Cody, get behind me."

Cody immediately obliged, and Edreg growled at the spear-wielders. "Don't come too close, or I _will_ rip you apart!"

One cocky person laughed as he charged at Edreg. "I think you're forgetting the spear, you beast!"

The last word echoed in Edreg's head. A _beast_, was he? Edreg let out a roar as he charged forwards. When he got close, he swung one claw downwards as the person tried to jab him with the spear. Edreg grinned as his claws tore through the spear, breaking it into three pieces. The man's face lost all resemblance of color as he immediately changed direction, shrieking in fear as he tried to get away from Edreg. Edreg grinned as he went back by Cody, making sure to put himself in-between the spears and Cody.

He never once questioned why he was defending Cody. It was his fault that Cody was in danger, so it was Edreg's duty to get Cody _out_ of danger. But as people appeared on the rooftops, javelins in their hands, Edreg realized they were in trouble. He couldn't counter a long-ranged attack!

"_Enough!_"

Each and every head turned to a man walking slowly over to the commotion. To Edreg, there was no question of who this man was. His slightly aged face, as well as the way he walked, told of a man that lived only to defend his village. This was the leader of the village. The javelin-throwers and the spear-wielders all backed off, grumbling as they did so.

Edreg was shocked as he felt Cody cling to his shoulders, clearly afraid as the village leader came closer. What shocked Edreg more was the sudden urge he felt to attack the man coming closer. No, that wasn't the right way to describe the feeling. He felt like he had to protect Cody from the man, no matter the cost.

It really confused Edreg, but he didn't have time to think about it. The village leader soon addressed him, his voice making it clear that the village leader was trying to be cautious. "I apologize for the actions of the villagers."

Edreg turned his head to look behind him when Cody spoke with fear in his voice. "I-it's ok, we didn't mean any harm! We were just passing through, and Edreg's only been a +Anima since a few hours ago so he doesn't know much about being a +Anima! He didn't mean to transform, we-"

Cody went quiet as the village leader held up a hand. "It's okay, you're not in trouble."

Cody got Edreg to smile when he gave a _huge_ sigh of relief. However, Edreg soon faced the man. "I have to admit, that was a really impressive reaction time. I hadn't transformed more than thirty seconds and suddenly javelin throwers and people wielding spears were _everywhere._"

The man sighed as he nodded. "The people of my village are all nervous at the moment. For the past two weeks we have been beset with a strange series of murders. Every morning we wake to find at least one person has disappeared, or is dead."

Edreg immediately looked at the villagers, and soon focused so his +Anima form would retract. Once he was certain it did, he spoke to the man. "Ah. I can see why you would react so quickly to someone wielding claws then."

The village leader nodded sadly. "All we know of the killer is that they are a +Anima. We found one person mortally wounded, and before she died she managed to say one word to the person that found her, '+Anima'."

Edreg flinched, as did Cody. However, the village leader didn't give them time to speak. "Of course, if the villagers had taken but a second to identify you before they attacked then they would have realized it wasn't you. The wounds on the bodies do not match with claws, but with the mark of a dagger."

Edreg sighed. At the very least, he was rather certain he and Cody would get away with their lives. He focused when the village leader cleared his throat. "However, you also showed that you are a good fighter. Perhaps you could lend us a hand with our problem by hunting down this +Anima?"

Edreg froze in place. He didn't even need to look at Cody to know Cody didn't want to do it. "I apologize, but I see no reason to-"

"_Of course_"

The village leader spoke quickly. "We would pay you handsomely."

Edreg completely forgot about Cody's unwillingness to go through with this. He had forgotten that he had no money, and if this would get him started . . . "Consider the problem solved."

After asking the village leader for any extra information and getting a strong lead on where the next murder was expected to happen Edreg soon went into a building that was pretty much empty. Cody almost immediately spoke up. "Edreg, I-uh . . . I don't . . ."

Edreg felt a smile come to his lips. "If you don't want to do it, then don't. I should be able to handle this by myself."

Edreg saw Cody give a sigh of relief. After Edreg asked a few questions, just to make certain he got everything, he soon said goodbye to Cody, promising to come back after he had gotten a good look at the target. When he got there, he was surprised to see a normal-looking house.

It wasn't much. The person was clearly poor, but Edreg was certain he'd be able to get this done with the person living. He soon went back over to Cody, and decided to wait with him until nightfall.

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><p>Poor Edreg. He can't resist the allure of the shinies.<p>

So, working on two stories-even joint ones-at the same time is very difficult for me. I want to work on We Four Freaks, but I'll try to work on this story on the side. Don't expect the same constant updates I normally do with We Four Freaks, this story could take a while..


	4. Enemy Of My Enemy

Damn, I forgot this was here.

I think I'm going to make a few chapters of this, just to make up for not updating it for so long.

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><p>Edreg grinned as the sun finally set. As he exited the building, he was surprised when Cody followed. So Cody had changed his mind? No matter, all Edreg had to focus on was the gold. "If anything goes wrong Cody, I want you to stay behind me."<p>

Cody quickly nodded, and soon the two of them were walking down the street. Once they got to the house, Edreg told Cody to be quiet. Edreg slowly climbed to the window of the intended victim's bedroom, all the way on the second floor of their house. Edreg simply stayed there, listening carefully for any noise coming from the room.

About twenty or so minutes into his wait, Edreg suddenly heard the creak of a floorboard. He felt adrenaline pump through his veins as he pulled himself up with his arms, soon leaping into the pitch-black room. He immediately reached for where he had earlier heard the floorboard creak, and his heart almost sang in relief when his claw caught hold of someone.

Edreg immediately brought back his other hand, but he froze when he heard a yelp of fear from the person. What the . . . "_Cody?_"

"Y-yeah?"

Edreg immediately smacked himself on the head. He had caught _Cody_ sneaking into the room? Why . . . Edreg listened to the bait, who fortunately was a heavy sleeper. "_What are you __**doing**__? I thought you were outside!_"

This time Cody seemed to catch on to the fact that Edreg was whispering, and whispered his reply. "_I was getting bored, so I decided to find a better place to stand._"

Edreg shook his head, in awe at Cody's naivety. "_You don't stand in the area that you want the target to __**be**__ when you ambush them! What were you __**thinking?**_"

"_But . . . but she was the one who suggested it._"

Edreg froze. "_She? Who's 'she'?_"

"_The girl that's reaching into the window._"

Edreg immediately turned around to find, just as Cody said, a hand reaching into the window. Edreg immediately raced forwards and grabbed the hand. What he didn't expect was for the owner of the hand to immediately yank her hand towards the windowsill, and soon he was falling out the window. Before he hit the ground, he got a good look at the person Cody had been talking about.

Her skin was black. Not the usual black, this was VERY black. It was almost impossible to see her in the dark, at least if it wasn't for her white hair and the moonlight reflecting off her eyes. She looked quite startled, but Edreg somehow managed to react. He brought his clawed hand back, but when he tried to strike the girl blocked him with a dagger. To Edreg, the dagger confirmed what he already knew. She was the one he was getting paid to kill, she was the killer! But before he could do much, the two of them hit the ground hard.

They both cried out in pain, but soon the girl swore. "God _damn_ it, what happened to my distraction?"

In spite of the situation, Edreg couldn't help but grin. "It backfired. He alerted me to you climbing through the window."

The girl cringed, but soon kicked Edreg off of her. As they got up, the girl mumbled to herself. "That's what I get for relying on a moron. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

Edreg grinned as he honed his claws. After a bit of time, the girl abruptly grinned. "I wouldn't get too close if I were you."

Edreg flinched when what was undeniably the tail of a skunk sprouted from the girl's hindquarters. Uh-oh. The girl simply grinned as she turned around, and Edreg immediately put distance between himself and the girl. He didn't know how far she could spray, but he figured that the farther he was away the less of a chance he would be hit.

The girl grinned as she went into a strange sort of handstand. "You could be all the way across the street and I would still hit you. I _never_ miss my mark!"

Edreg cringed as the girl shifted her stance slightly. This was _bad_! He didn't have time to move before the girl grunted.

But as she fired, Edreg was shocked as Cody leapt down from the window, neatly landing on his feet. "Hey th-"

It was too late. Cody had unintentionally put himself in-between Edreg and the girl, and had landed directly in her firing range. Because he was looking at Edreg, the spray hit Cody on the back. Almost immediately, a very foul smell hit the air, and Cody froze in shock.

The girl stopped quickly, looking shocked as she looked where she had hit. "What? How did _he_ get in the way?"

Cody didn't say anything, just turned around and looked at the girl's still-raised hindquarters. Edreg was shocked when Cody turned back around, a look of shock and disgust on his face. "_**Eww!**__ I can't believe she just did that! __**She PEED on me!**__ That's __**disgusting!**_"

It was almost too fast for Edreg to follow. He suddenly found Cody rushing towards him, and was completely shocked when Cody hugged him and burst into tears. "_I-I was just __**peed**__ on! A-and this __**smell**__, I smell so __**badly**__! Now __**no one**__ will want to stay next to me, and I'll be all alone again! __**I don't want to be alone again! SHE JUST PEED ON ME!**_"

Well, this was awkward. Edreg found himself leaving his +Anima form, and soon putting an awkward arm around Cody. "Just calm down Cody, it'll be okay. I won't leave you, and the smell will wash out. But right now-"

Cody looked up at Edreg, tears in his large hazel eyes. He still looked greatly upset, and yet again Edreg was shocked when he felt the need to defend Cody. He had pretty much forgotten about the girl, but soon the girl cleared her throat. "_First up_, it's not pee. It's skunk spray."

Cody turned his head to look at her, clearly startled. "Wait, is that a type of perfume? If so, it smells really bad, like _really_ really bad."

Both Edreg and the girl shook their heads. Eventually, the girl spoke. "Yes, perfume. _From my ass._ It's a gift."

Cody's eyes immediately lit up with joy. "_Really?_ Thank you!"

Edreg couldn't help but grin as he let go of Cody. The girl gave a slight grin as she shook her head, but Cody didn't seem to notice. Before Edreg could really think of an excuse to get Cody out of the way, so Edreg could try to kill the girl, Cody spoke to the girl. "Hey, we're looking for someone that ruined Edreg's life. Do you know of someone named Zacyr?"

At first Edreg was going to berate Cody for trying to make friends with the target, but the girl's eyes opened wide at Cody's question. "Are you referring to Zacyr Aror? White-silver hair, red eyes, and suffers from hallucinations?"

Edreg's eyes opened wide. "I didn't know his last name, but . . . all the other facts are right."

The girl's eyes sparkled with a strange, almost _sadistic_ glee. "I want him in a fate _far_ worse than death."

Edreg couldn't help but grin. "It seems we share an enemy."

The girl nodded with a cruel grin on her face. "As far as I am concerned, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Maybe we should discuss this in the forest. I have another person with me that is sure to help."

Edreg grinned, and soon he and Cody were following the girl through the village.

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><p>Hmm, a skunk +Anima that wants people dead, and wants to put Zacyr in a fate worse than death. I wonder who this could be :P<p> 


	5. Friend Of A Friend

Alright, I give. I need to take a break from We Four Freaks. As such, I am going to work on The Cody Chronicles for a while and take a break from writing We Four Freaks. I'll see what I can do about a title for this one, but I highly doubt I'll manage to make one.

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><p>Kesi stood at the edge of the pond, refusing to move a single muscle. The only sound was the wind hitting the leaves of the trees that surrounded the pond. Kesi really loved nature, and the fact that this pond was within the forest was a very beneficial thing for him. Right now he was knee-deep in the pond, keeping as still as he could so he wouldn't startle the fish. He watched the water carefully, listening for one of the larger fish to swim just a tiny bit too close to him. Once one fish got within range, Kesi immediately thrust his quill-staff into the water, grinning when he hit his mark perfectly.<p>

Not missing a beat, Kesi swung the quill-staff towards the shore. It was a practiced move he had done several times now, so he could only grin when the fish slipped off of the spear and landed neatly in a nice pile of fish. Kesi had really gotten good with fishing over the past few years. Rudeg and he loved to have contests to see who could get the most fish, which was actually a pretty even match.

Of course, that got Kesi's mind back on Rudeg again. He still couldn't believe that he had finally found her. And, while he wished he could be shocked when he had learned Rudeg was killing humans, Kesi truly wasn't. How could he blame her? Her past was so screwed up . . . he really hoped that he could find a way to help her.

With a sigh Kesi looked back at the pile of fish. He probably had over-fished, so it would be safe to say he could stop now. Soon Kesi walked out from the edge of the pond, quickly locating a log he and Rudeg had rolled over here so they could sit down. There, he waited patiently for Rudeg to come back.

Sure, he absolutely hated the fact that Rudeg was probably killing someone at the moment, but . . . what could he do about it? He wanted to find a way to stop her, he really did, but . . . he just couldn't think of a way. He didn't want to hurt Rudeg, not after she saved him from his own personal hell. Rudeg's rage was justified, even if she was taking it out on the wrong people.

Rudeg had already told Kesi that her original target had already died, and while Rudeg believed that Sidas' killer should take his place . . . they had no idea where this 'Zacyr' was. Until they could get a lucky break, Rudeg didn't want to leave this specific city alone. While Kesi didn't really know _why_ Rudeg was fixated on this town, he could guess that someone at the town had irked Rudeg, and she wanted to draw blood as a way to get back at them.

After a few minutes, Kesi grew quite alarmed when he heard more than one set of footsteps headed in Kesi's direction. Rudeg wasn't one to bring visitors, this _couldn't_ be Rudeg. Well over a hundred scenarios raced through Kesi's head, each one more ludicrous than the last, even though they all were technically possible. Was it just chance that the footsteps were heading this way? Had Rudeg gotten caught? Were these villagers that wanted Kesi's head for a trophy?

Wait, he had to calm down. This was probably just a group of people that just happened to be walking through the forest. All Kesi had to do was make sure he didn't reveal that he was a +Anima, and he wouldn't be harmed. As such, he quickly hid the quill-staff he had been using to fish behind the log Kesi was sitting on. While it was quite possible no one would realize that the quill-staff was actually a huge porcupine quill, and even if they _did _there was still no guarantee that they would realize it was from Kesi's +Anima form, Kesi didn't want to take that chance.

He soon sat back down on the log, his thoughts racing as he looked at the forest. When they got closer, Kesi suddenly froze in place. He sniffed the air, and his fear was confirmed. Only one of Rudeg's victims could smell like this. While Kesi himself was immune to the foul-smelling secretions Rudeg (or any skunk for that matter) produced, at least in that it wouldn't incapacitate him in the slightest, that wasn't what he was worried about.

One of these people had met Rudeg and had been sprayed by her. Kesi gulped as he quickly reached behind the log he was sitting on. If these people knew where he was _and_ they had met Rudeg, but they weren't killed, could it be possible . . . no, Rudeg wouldn't betray Kesi. It just wasn't possible, she wouldn't do that!

But if these people had met Rudeg and lived, then it meant Rudeg had been killed, and had left something behind that had unintentionally given away where Kesi and Rudeg had been staying. As such, Kesi decided that it was no longer a matter of trying to hide, but instead a matter of defending himself. He soon grabbed the quill-staff and quickly got to his feet, trying to look intimidating. While yes he had been taught by Rudeg how to fight using one of his quill-staffs, Kesi was hoping that it wouldn't come to that.

But when the footsteps got even closer, Kesi heard the last voice he expected to hear. Rudeg's voice rang through the trees, unusually cheerful for her. "Hey, Kesi!"

Kesi almost immediately raced towards her voice. She was over by the footsteps, so . . . _had_ she made friends? They were +Anima then, they _had_ to be. Rudeg would _never_ befriend a human. Not after what happened to her, she just couldn't forgive humanity for the hell she had been put through.

Kesi quickly reached the footsteps, and he couldn't have been more surprised, yet delighted, to find Rudeg standing there. Rudeg had a warm smile on her face as she greeted Kesi. Behind Rudeg were two guys, one teenager and one kid that looked like he may _just_ have been entering his teenage years. The younger boy was eyeing the older one with a look of complete devotion. The older one had their attention on Kesi, and soon brushed back their blonde hair. "Well . . . not what I expected."

As Kesi watched, Rudeg gave a slight smirk towards the older boy before focusing on Kesi. "I hope you don't mind, I found these two waiting for me at my most recent murder attempt. Turns out me and Edreg - he's the older one - have a common enemy."

Ah, now _that_ made sense. Kesi gave a slight gulp before he asked. While he knew he shouldn't say it, he had to make certain. "So he _also_ hates Zacyr?"

Rudeg nodded with a grin, and Kesi watched as Edreg's eyes immediately narrowed at the mention of Zacyr's name. Well . . . at least Rudeg was making something similar to a 'friend'. However, Kesi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he looked at the boy next to Edreg. "So, uh . . . what's he?"

Rudeg surprised Kesi when she gave a teasing grin. Still grinning, she turned and looked at the younger boy. "Cody, what's your position?"

When the boy - Cody, as Rudeg had called him - responded immediately and excitedly, Kesi realized Rudeg had been having fun. "I have three roles. I am the . . . e-mot-e-on-al support, the com-ee-dic relief, and in the case of us finding ourselves against impossible odds, I also function as the 'can on fire'"

Rudeg chuckled a bit before she looked at Cody. "_'Cannon fodder'_. How many times do I have to say it?"

Kesi gave a slight smile. Of course, Rudeg was actually joking around. They wouldn't _really_ do that to this kid. But it was kind of funny how Cody continued to look at Edreg with complete adoration in his eyes. However, once Kesi sniffed the air he suddenly flinched. He had forgotten about the smell, but it seemed to be coming from Cody. So Rudeg had sprayed _Cody?_

It wasn't long before Kesi and Rudeg led both Edreg and Cody to their hiding place, which was pretty much the pond that Kesi had been fishing in. Soon Cody was busy taking a very thorough bath to get rid of the smell while Kesi, Rudeg, and Edreg were sitting around a small fire, waiting for the fish to get done cooking.

Rudeg soon asked what they should do, as Edreg had mentioned that Zacyr _had_ been close to one side of the forest recently. Rudeg stated that they should leave immediately and return to where Edreg had been when he last saw Zacyr, but both Rudeg and Kesi were surprised when Edreg gave a very clear 'no'. He refused to elaborate, so Kesi shrugged. "Well, I guess the best we can do is go from village to village and see if anyone has recently seen Zacyr."

Rudeg smiled at Kesi, stating that while she hated talking to 'filthy, disgusting humans', it _was_ probably the best way to locate him. She then stood up, and stated that they should leave as soon as possible. However, both Kesi and Rudeg were startled when Edreg spoke up.

"Before we leave, I need to make one last trip back into town. The village leader offered to pay me to stop your attacks, Rudeg. I'll go there in the morning, claim I killed you, take the money, and we'll be on our way."

Before Kesi could say anything about it, Rudeg quickly spoke up. "Anything that involves scamming people is fine with me, but the idea that they would pay a +Anima to kill another +Anima seems rather strange to me. I won't stop you from meeting them, and I can stay in the forest while you go, but . . . what if they intend to kill _two_ +Anima with one trick?"

Despite Rudeg's warning, Edreg simply shook his head with a slightly nervous laugh. "I think you're being paranoid. They're still human, why would they lie to me? Besides, even if it is a trick, I could take them."

It wasn't long before the four of them decided to go to sleep. It had to have been getting close to morning, and although both Kesi and Rudeg could stay up for a while longer, both Edreg and Cody were clearly exhausted. Edreg soon chose a place to sleep, and both Kesi and Rudeg grinned at each other when Cody immediately lied down next to Edreg. While Edreg looked a bit annoyed, he didn't say anything about it, and soon both Edreg and Cody were snoring away. Both Kesi and Rudeg chuckled at Cody's actions, and it wasn't long before the two of them chose places to sleep.

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><p>If all goes well, I should have another chapter up soon.<p>

Update 7/21/2012

Oh, screw it. I'll finish up We Four Freaks, THEN I'll work on this story.


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